name
Vietnam
vee-uht-NAHM
name
1
A country in Southeast Asia, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with its capital at Hanoi.
"They backpacked through Vietnam for a month, from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta."
noun
1
By extension, any long, grinding conflict that a stronger power can't win, or a hopeless, dangerous situation.
"Critics warned the invasion could turn into another Vietnam."
"The failing project became his own personal Vietnam."
How to Use Vietnam
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe country in Southeast Asia — or, figuratively, a drawn-out conflict that can't be won.
When to use it
The figurative sense ("his own Vietnam") is journalistic/informal and can read as insensitive; use with care.
Word Forms
Vietnams plural
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They backpacked through _____ for a month, from Hanoi to the Mekong Delta.
Etymology
From Vietnamese Việt Nam. The extended, figurative sense of "an unwinnable quagmire" comes directly from the Vietnam War.